Five Good Things

Happy Mother's Day~

All of my wishes came true! I enjoy four curious, creative, beautiful and kind children with my brilliant, generous, and handsome husband {Post-Mother's Day gushing + PDAs are always appropriate and permissible}, a home to call our own, paints and beads, pillows, pots and pans... everything to make, and cook, and play with, add cats, chickens, goats, garden beds, friends calling, family, too, plus high speed Internet, and being served the very breakfast I described... and it makes for a complete Mother's Day package. Ruth joined us, and we made our way to two nurseries... saw goats, chickens, curious little finches, a tortoise, fountains, and veggies, flowers, seeds, pots! Our local nurseries are amazing. We brought home both veggies, and seeds for more veggies! We found a gorgeous string of pearls hanging plant for Ruth, and she found us a lush and feathery maiden hair fern to go with the beautiful green house she brought us as a porch warming gift. I took pictures of African violets, and other flowers, for Grandmother Eunice, and my mommy and I kept exchanging photographs and videos throughout the day, staying in touch and up to date with our Mother's Day apart. Maria wrote a poem for me... it's a love-laden-humbling thing to see ourselves through our children's eyes... I feel so loved, and eager to really live up to her vision.

Back at home, we hung out. Well, I hung out... and everyone else were my darling minions, willingly and happily doing my bidding. So, curtains were hung, and a rabbit hutch refurbished. Garden beds were watered, dishes washed, and William baked a cake. Geoff hung the goat feeder we dragged home from a farm sale last fall, and he built a goat tower of straw bales. Alex and Max cleared a garden bed, then the old bamboo tower came down to make way for the pumpkin patch, and watermelons. It's no fun only hanging out, so I joined in the fun, and planted beets, chard, and pole beans. We even managed to collect a decent stash of eggs for Anna Banana! We all fixed things, and moved things, laughed at goats, fed the Jay, and enjoyed the day, out of doors, right through dusk.

Then comes Monday morning, and for this shock to the system I have a modest proposal: After any holiday weekend, when we have savored the sweet luxuries of life, celebrated earnestly, we ought to agree that school, work, duties, and the return to reality should be a gradual and gentle re-entry, starting no sooner than noon. Not necessarily to postpone the inevitable, but to deeply absorb and appreciate all of the good effects of love, companionship, kindness, and mindfulness enjoyed the day before. I think this is a fine idea.

Good Things...

1. Our phones with cameras, and means of connecting... it was so dear and familiar watching the little video of Grandma, Becky, Debbie, and my mom playing their game of Contract Rummy, then seeing the gorgeous garden lasagna they baked, with our favorite recipe!

2. Chcikenblog Chickenblog. {Sure, there are times when it makes me feel silly, overexposed, underrated, obsessed strongly vested, but} I couldn't ask for a more thorough family album, a better record of things... it's such a surprising keepsake, which I feel thankful to have when I can use it to revisit our days, and events, and appreciate the details and success we enjoy. Hard to believe it was a year ago that we enjoyed a Mother's Day in Pasadena, and the changes about to happen, then.

3. Friday night with Max, Maria, Alex, and William visiting the kitties in the pet shop shelter with Max's friend, and shelter volunteer, Hana. It's probably easier to stay away from the temptations there, but it felt really good to be company to all those dear kitties.

4. On FB, seeing everyone's posts, their love and outpouring of affection for their mothers, for all the women who nurture, lead, shelter, encourage, inspire, and mother.

5. I found my keys. {You guys, they were at the bottom of my not-so-big purse, all along. Please, remind me to not lose my mind when I feel desperately useless!}